Automatic air volume control



Nov. 14, 1944. A. P. RUTH 2,362,586

AUTOMATIC AIR VOLUME CONTROL Filed Aug. 15, 1944 Patented Nov. 14, 1944 1 2,362,586

. housing 6 and the cap 'l thus forming a pressure Excessive pressures in the tank l3 will be chamber 9 WhlCh is equipped with the inwardly prevented since said tank is equipped with a opening inlet valve l0. relief valve l8 of conventional construction.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,362,586 AUTOMATIC AIR VOLUME CONTROL Arthur P.Ruth,H'oi1ston, Tex. Application August 15, 1944, Serial No. 549,553 6 Claims. (01.10345) This invention relates to an automatic air into the tank and leading from the chamber 9 volume control, or air charger for pressure tanks. and terminating in the tank above the normal An object of the invention is to provide novel water level there is an air pipe l which is means for maintaining the required air pressure equipped with a back pressure valve 16.

in the water tank of a water supply system. a 5 It is to be understood that the pump will be Another object of the invention is to provide driven by an electric motor and the switch for apparatus of the character described which will controlling the motor will be operated by the not only charge the tank with the required air pressure in the tank in the well known manner pressure but which is of such construction that So that when the pressure is low in the tank the the air cannot reach the pump of the system 10 switch will be closed so as to start the motor to so that a predetermined water pressure will be p at the p p o de ver dit ona Water to maintained in the water pump and the pump will the tank and when a predetermined pressure in not lose its prime. the tank has been attained the switch will be The improvement herein disclosed may be apautomatically opened and the pump stopped. plied either to the pump supply line leading into With the type of char r herein described the the tank or to the service line leading from the r qu s te "am unt of a r Will be maintained in tank to the point of utilization. the tank so that the tank will not become water With the above and other objects in view the logged, that is, so that there will be a sufficient invention has particular relation to certain novel volume ofair at all times maintained in the tank features of construction, operationv and arrangeo m inta n pressure on the water for a conment of parts, an example of which is given in siderable length of time, when once placed under this specification and illustrated in the acp e, O that t motor Wil not be so companying drawing wherein: frequently Started:

Figure 1 shows a sectional view of the con- When the pump b gins ope e P to ll trolling device as connected to the pump and to will be forced outwardlyi'n the cy nder 3 until the water tank; and i it uncovers the ports 4 whereupon the water will Figure 2 shows a cross sectional View taken be d v r d n t ou sa d ports, and the line on the line 2-2 of Figure l. i I4, into the tank. At the same time the dia- Referring now more particularly to the 'drawphr s W e p r o reduce the volume ing wherein like numerals of reference designate 0f the chamber 9 and the air therein will be similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral forced threllgh t p p 5 te the tank and l designates the discharge line of a water pump trapped h n by he back pressure -valve l5. 2 and attached, in any preferred manner, to n a p edetermined pressure has been atthe outer end of said line there is a cylinder 3 ed t meter and p Will be automatically having the discharge ports 4 and screwed into Stoppe a d e Spring Will force the P o the outer end of this cylinder there is the per- H in t pp direction, the pressure 011 Said forated nut 5. piston equalizing through the equalizing port 11. Screwed onto the outer end of the line I there The capacity of the chamber 9 will be increased is the surrounding housing 6 bolted to the free as the piston moves to its original, or starting end of which is the dome-like cap I. A flexible 40 position, and an additional charge of air will diaphram 8 has its margin clamped between the be drawn in through the valve l0.

Fitted into the cylinder 3 there is a piston ll The air charger may be, if desired, connected which is fastened to the innerend of the piston into the service line H! of the tank by arranging rod Ila. The other end of said piston rod works it so that 1 the out flowing water will operate th ou a Ce a be in the nut H and is against the piston II. In this arrangement the fastened to the diaphram 8. supply pipe [4 would be connected directed to Surrounding the piston rod and interposed the discharge line 'of the pump and the spring between the nut 5 and the piston N there is 2. I2 would be a weaker spring than in the illustracoil spring l2. tion shown in the Figure 1 of the drawing.

Leading from the housing 6 into the conven- What I claim is: tional pressure tank l3, of the system, there is a 1. An automatic air volume control for a water supply line H through which water is delivered system comprising a tank, a water line connected into the tank, a cylinder having a port, a piston in the cylinder exposed to the pressure of the water in said line, and adapted to be moved by said pressure to uncover said port, an air chamber having an inlet valve, a conduit leading from said chamber into the tank and having a back pressure valve, means connected to the piston for varying the capacity of said chamber and a yieldable member for returning the piston.

2. An automatic air volume control for a water system comprising a tank, a water line connected into the tank, a cylinder having an outlet port, a piston in the cylinder exposed to the pressure of the water in said line and adapted to be moved by said pressure, in one direction, to uncover said port to allow the flow of water through said line, yieldable means for moving the piston in the other direction, an air chamber one side of which is formed by a movable diaphragm, an air inlet valve controlling the inlet of air into the chamber, a conduit leading from the chamber into the tank, a check valve controlling said conduit and a stem connecting the piston and diaphragm.

3. An automatic air volume control for a water system comprising a tank, a water line connected into the tank, a cylinder having an outlet port, a piston in the cylinder exposed to the pressure water in said line and adapted to be moved, in one direction, by said pressure to uncover said port to allow the flow of water through the line, mechanical means for moving the piston in the other direction upon a reduction of the pressure against the piston, an air chamber of variable volume and having an air inlet, a valve controlling said inlet, a conduit leading from said chamber into the tank, a check valve controlling said conduit and means connecting the piston with a wall of the chamber whereby the volume of the chamber is varied by the movement of the piston to induce the flow of air into the chamber and into the tank in accordance with the variations in the volume of the chamber.

4. In combination, a tank for containing liquid, a pump, a discharge line leading from the pump, a cylinder adapted to be connected into the discharge line of the pump and having an outlet port, a line through which water discharged through said port may be conducted into said tank, a piston in the cylinder exposed to the pressure of the water discharged from the pump and adapted to be moved by said pressure, in one direction, to uncover said port to allow the water to flow through said line into the tank, mechanical means for moving the piston in the other direction, an air chamber having an inlet and one side of which is formed by a movable diaphragm, an air inlet valve controlling the inlet of air into the chamber, a conduit leading from the chamber into the tank, a check valve controlling said conduit and means connecting the piston with the diaphragm whereby the volume of the chamber is varied in accordance with the movement of the piston.

5. The combination with a tank for containing liquid and having a supply line through which liquid may be supplied to the tank under pressure and having an outlet line through which liquid under pressure may be delivered from the tank; an automatic air volume control compristhe tank and having a check valve therein,

means connecting the piston to the movable wall of the chamber whereby the capacity of said chamber will be variedin accordance with the movements of thepiston to draw air into the chamber and to expel the same from the chamber into the tank as the piston operates.

6. The combination with a tank for containing liquid and having a supply line through which liquid may be supplied to the tank under pressure and having an outlet line through which liquid under pressure may be delivered from the tank; an automatic air volume control comprising a cylinder connected intoone of said lines and having a port, a piston in the cylinder exposed to the pressure of the liquid in the line to which the cylinder is connected and adapted to be moved by said pressure in one direction to uncover said port and allow the fiow of liquid through said last mentioned line, means for moving the piston in another direction, an air chamber formed with a movable wall and having a valve controlled air inlet, an air delivery conduit leading from said chamber into the tank and having a check valve therein, means connecting the piston'to the movable wall of the chamber whereby the capacity of said chamber will be varied in accordance with the movements of the piston to draw air into the chamber and to expel the same from the chamber into the tank as the piston operates.

ARTHUR P. RUTH. 

